The Canary Islands have historically enjoyed a differentiated and stable economic and fiscal regime so as to compensate for the effects of being islands and their remoteness from Europe. They have a Fiscal and Economic Regime of their own created by Act 19/1994 on the Fiscal and Economic Regime of the Canary Islands, subject to Spanish legislation and fully authorized by the EU.

Gran Canaria boasts magnificent conditions in which to live and enjoy the environment. Its excellent climate, landscapes and quality of services make the island a unique place to live and work.

• Its beaches, varied landscapes and an annual average temperature of 21ºC, justify the island being described as a continent in miniature.
• The health and education services are comparable to those in most European countries.
• Its transport connections provide easy access to the principal Continental cities.
• The large retail areas and specialist shops supply the vast majority of the products and services available in any European city.
• There is a year-round programme of cultural and artistic events, some of which, such as the music and film festivals, have international impact.
• The island’s relatively small size and its good transport infrastructure makes any internal journey quick and easy.
• With almost 400,000 inhabitants, the city of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria is a cosmopolitan coastal metropolis.

Connections with the world

Gran Canaria’s privileged and strategic position in the Atlantic Ocean, situated 1,250 kilometres from the Spanish Mainland and only 210 kilometres from Africa, converts it into a logistics platform between Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Its constantly improving and expanding land, sea and air transport network, ensures the Island’s optimum internal and external connections.

Gran Canaria International Airport, the fifth most important in Spain, not only has scheduled flights to 86 destinations, including the principal cities of Spain and Europe, but also stands out as a charter flights receptor. Flight time with the principal European capital cities, ranges from two to four and a half hours. In 2008 the airport received more than 10.2 million passengers and handled over 116, 000 flights.

The Port of Las Palmas, situated in the island’s capital city, constitutes a true Atlantic hub and is a perfect platform for maritime traffic between Europe, Africa and the Americas, connecting Gran Canaria with 135 ports around the world. Its strategic position has consolidated it as a supply port and a merchandise distribution centre. It stands out for its ship repair facilities and maritime services.

Its road network of 1,180 kilometres offers quick and efficient connections between all the centres of population, industrial areas, tourist resorts and other places of interest.

Gran Canaria is fully integrated in the Information Society. The deployment of broadband telecommunication networks on the island, services all the population, tourist and business centres and enables 98% of the island’s firms to have access to Internet.